In Brief

Schultz Lab Reunion Celebrates 30+ Years of Science

schultz
Members and former members of the Schultz lab gathered for a three-day reunion and celebration, including an all-day symposium. Above, attendees pose for a group photo on TSRI’s California campus. See also larger image. (Photo by John Dole.)

Izard Lab Receives $1.6 Million Grant Renewal

The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) laboratory of Associate Professor T. Izard has been awarded a $1.6 million grant renewal from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health.

The four-year renewal will allow the lab to continue to study the balance between cell migration and cell-cell adhesion, which is crucial during development and is altered in disease states such as metastatic cancers. Strong cell-cell adhesion is necessary in maintaining tissue integrity.

This work should significantly increase the understanding of membrane dynamics, migration and cell adhesion, laying the foundation for a better understanding of how these controls are lost during tumor progression and opening the door to new avenues for therapeutic intervention.

The number of the grant is 2R01GM094483.

Bannister Lab Receives Funding to Develop New PTSD Treatments

Scientists from TSRI’s Florida campus will receive $1.2 million over four years to develop new drug treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

TSRI Assistant Professor Thomas Bannister is a key investigator on the new National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) grant.

PTSD typically occurs in affected individuals after exposure to highly traumatic life events. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, symptoms can include flashbacks, difficulty sleeping and increased levels of irritation and anger. Sufferers may also experience emotional numbness and avoidance of people or activities that may remind them of the trauma.

There are currently no clinically approved treatments for PTSD.

The new project, which also involves Assistant Professor Shaun P. Brothers of the University of Miami and Professor Kerry Ressler of McLean Hospital/Harvard, will examine compounds designed by Bannister’s laboratory that can selectively activate the nociceptin receptor, a brain protein believed to play a role in anxiety and depression. The Ressler/Bannister/Brothers team published a study in 2013 in the journal Science Translational Medicine that shows that the lead TSRI compound SR-8993 lessens PTSD-like symptoms in mice. Other reports had found that PTSD patients have deficits in nociceptin receptor function.

The grant (number R01MH110441), awarded to the University of Miami School of Medicine, supports work to optimize the properties of SR-8993 so it can be further evaluated as a drug candidate.

SOF Launches Open Mic Night Fall Season

The Scripps California Postdoc Open Mic Finals Night, the first of the program’s 2016 fall season, will be held Wednesday, August 17, from 6 to 8 PM. The event, sponsored by the Society of Fellows (SOF), will feature talks by previous Open Mic Night winners and postdoc presenters.

Guest judges TSRI Professor Jane Dyson and Diego Miralles, president of Adaptive Therapeutics at Adaptive Biotechnologies and former global head of innovation for Johnson & Johnson, will select the best presentation of the evening.

The Open Mic Night format features brief introductory talks by two guest judges, followed by five-minute basic science talks by postdoctoral fellows from TSRI and other research institutions on the Torrey Pines Mesa. The program provides a public speaking platform as well as networking opportunities for postdocs and local businesses, biotech companies and the general public.

The August event will be held at the Bella Vista Social Club and Caffé, with refreshments sponsored by Essen IncuCyte Live Cell Analysis and MaxCyte Flow Transfection, and a tap takeover by Duckfoot Brewing.

Upcoming Open Mic Nights will be held on the following Wednesdays: September 14, October 19 and November 16. Additional information, including speaker applications, can be found on the SOF website.

FL Sandelman Travel Award Applications Due August 24

Applications for Robert M. Sandelman Endowment Travel Awards, open to fulltime Scripps Florida postdoctoral fellows and graduate students, are due Wednesday, August 24. Three $1,000 awards to attend domestic conferences and a $1,500 award to attend an international conference are available.

Eligibility criteria, application procedures and the application form are posted on the Career and Postdoctoral Services website. Winners will be announced on October 7 during the annual Scripps Florida Research Fest.

Volunteers are also needed to serve on the review committee, which consists of one Scripps Florida faculty member, three postdoctoral fellows and one graduate student. The group will evaluate each application’s quality of scientific communication, scientific merit, applicant credentials, significance of the conference to the applicant's career and financial need. To volunteer, contact the Career and Postdoctoral Services Office.

Counseling Services: "Ten Tips for Play and Rest"

The Counseling and Psychological Services Department presents the newest article in its "Ten Tips" series, "Ten Tips for Incorporating Play and Rest." “It is important to recharge our energy in order to be more effective in all areas of our lives," writes TSRI Counseling Psychologist Dana Scoville. More in the Ten Tips series is available on the Counseling and Psychological Services website.

CA Lunch & Learn: Unleashing Well-Being

Developing a positive, engaged and healthy life is the focus of the next Lunch & Learn presentation, "Unleashing Well-Being: Research-Based Principles to Thrive,” scheduled for Wednesday, August 24, from noon to 1 PM in the Keck Amphitheater at Scripps California.

Amy Rodquist-Kodet, a wellness specialist and health coach who holds an MA in Holistic Health from St. Catherine’s University in Minnesota, will conduct the session, covering:

Cultivating positivity while working with negative emotions
Connecting with personal strengths to increase stress resilience
Making healthy habits “stick”
Nourishing healthy relationships

Lunch & Learn presentations are arranged by TSRI Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). For information on other CAPS resources, visit the department’s website.

San Diego Blood Bank On-Campus Drive August 24

Help save a life in 30 minutes—the time it takes to donate a unit of blood. The Scripps California community is encouraged to sign up for the next ScrippsAssists blood drive, in partnership with the San Diego Blood Bank (SDBB), on Wednesday, August 24, from 9 AM to 2:30 PM. The SDBB bloodmobile will be located in the parking lot adjacent to the Skaggs/MBB building, 10596 N. Torrey Pines Road.

Eligible donors are asked to make an appointment on the SDBB website. Walk-in donors will be welcomed. Guidelines and eligibility requirements are also listed on the blood bank website. Donors should bring photo identification, a record of medications they currently take and a list of locations visited outside the United States in the past three years. All donors will automatically be entered into a prize raffle. For further information on the blood drive, contact Scripps Assists Project Lead Leslie Madden at lmaden@scripps.edu.

CA Onsite Clinic August 17

The next onsite immunization clinic on the California campus will be held Wednesday, August 17, from 9:30 to 11 AM, in the Hazen Theory building, rooms 203/205. No appointment needed.

Conducted by Sharp Rees-Stealy staff, the clinic will provide hepatitis B vaccination free of charge to all TSRI employees. Environmental Health & Safety Occupational Medicine must pre-authorize all other procedures based on the employee's working conditions. These procedures include tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (Tdap) vaccines and other titers, immunizations and procedures.

Send comments to: mikaono[at]scripps.edu

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